Amador County – The Ione City Council Monday approved a contract with its employees’ union, and an agreement with Amador County on the city’s sphere of influence.
The council in a special meeting Monday approved a five-year contract with Service Employees International Union. City Manager Kim Kerr said negotiations toward “long-term solutions” led to the agreement, which lasts through June 30th, 2015.
The building inspector/public works project manager agreed to a furlough through the end of the year, to work 16 hours a week for seven weeks. Salary changes include new hires paying their own retirement share, and existing employees eventually paying some of it, in 2 percent increases annually.
Kerr said the furlough will save $7,000, and starting in 2011, the PERS annual savings will be roughly $5,200, and grow to $20,800 in 2014-2015.
The council also approved a sphere of influence agreement with the county, which Kerr said the Board of Supervisors approved and signed Tuesday.
The council discussed the changes from the original document to the revised agreement, first presented at the first meeting of the council and supervisors. The memorandum of understanding was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Jim Ulm dissenting.
Kerr said the council directed staff at a second joint meeting to remove requirements for Amador County to designate certain land usage within the city’s sphere of influence.
The changes in the agreement stressed the importance of communication between the two agencies concerning development, Kerr said. They also had discussed land use, and authority over designations. The sphere of influence includes land outside a city limits, but considered part of its future growth area.
There was also attention given to the area to be annexed to city, so that it could be assured that a buffer area would be created between any rural and agricultural areas that would become adjacent to the development of any residential areas, Kerr said. The Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission adopted guidelines for the creation of those buffers, she said, and “we kind of built some of that same language into our city general plan.”
Ione City Council inducts its new council members at the beginning of the next meeting, starting at 6 pm Tuesday, Dec. 7th. Kerr said the council will accept a resolution from Amador County certifying the results of the election, and City Clerk Janice Traverso will certify the election for the city, and then administer the oath of office for the new council members.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
